Scanning and optimization techniques are used in some sawmills to determine the best orientation and position for a workpiece upstream of a processing machine that will be used to remove material from the workpiece (e.g., by cutting, chipping, or planing) according to an optimized cut solution. Removing the material from a flawed portion of the workpiece, as opposed to a clear wood portion, can help to improve grade and profitability.
Planers typically remove more material from the top of the workpiece than from the bottom. For that reason, it is generally desirable to send boards through the planer in a wane-up orientation.